The Human Mind: An Examination of the Complexities of Mankind

This is an essay detailing the complexities of the human mind. In addition to that, it explores the potential reasoning behind different feelings and the potential to alter an individual's perception of those around him or her.

Submitted:Dec 13, 2013
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The Human Mind: An Examination of the Complexities of
Mankind

We, as human beings, cannot actually comprehend
another being as complex as ourselves. To attempt to emulate
another fully formed human mind is impossible, as that would
require the ability to understand two minds, which would require
two minds. While most people say they recognize other people as
what they are, sentient individuals capable of thoughts as
complex as each and every other person, very few actually
recognize what this means.

We begin with a simple thought: what is it to be
human? This question, though appearing to be an innocuous query,
is far more complicated than at first glance. Much like colors, a
human individual is unable to be described as anything other than
what he or she is, a human individual. Just as you cannot imagine
a color being anything other than what it is, it is impossible to
express what it is to be human in any way except by using the
word that has been set to describe something we cannot
comprehend.

The mind is an amazing thing, capable of altering
everything we are in response to a stimulating event. The event
itself can actually originate within the mind. This is the power
of the mind: it can essentially generate worlds within itself,
and respond to those worlds as though they were a physical,
tangible thing.

Thinking about another mind is impossible, as to
completely simulate another mind would mean that you would have
to generate all the complex thoughts that the other mind would be
thinking. The Droste effect is when there is an image, and within
the image there is something interacting with a smaller version
of the same image, in which that same something is interacting
with an even smaller version of the image. The result is an
infinite number of that image, each one progressively smaller
than the last until it is impossible to see. With the simulation
of the human mind, a similar problem would arise. In order for a
mind to be properly imagined, it would need to be able to imagine
its own thoughts independently, including the potential to
attempt to imagine another mind, as complex as its own.
Therefore, even if we could imagine another fully functional
human mind, just as complex as our own, we would be unable to
control it, as the mind itself is unable to be bound. While it
can be effected by external events, it can never truly be
suppressed.

Now that it has been established that the mind cannot
be fully comprehended, it is possible to attempt to understand
the complex beauty of the world around us. Knowing that the mind
is too complicated to know, the attempt to fully grasp this
information is beyond reach. However, due to the fact that it is
possible to know that the ability to fully understand this
information is beyond reach, and given that it is known there are
around seven billion people living in the world, it is possible
to pretend to imagine the complexity of the world. Seven billion
minds, each too complicated to be fully grasped by another mind,
all working in unison all over a large chunk of material floating
through a vacuum. While it is possible to attempt to branch out
from that point and begin to explore the possibilities of other
either more or less advanced creatures living outside of the
planet Earth, it would be counter-productive at this point in
time. Instead, it is preferable to simply stick with what is
factual, that the world is insanely, incomprehensibly,
complex.

Now armed with that knowledge, it becomes adamantly
clear that it is impossible to truly "understand" another
individual. It is possible to understand certain emotions or
physical or mental states, it is impossible to truly understand
another person. Because so many people fail to comprehend the
fact that they cannot comprehend another human being, they are
often left with a sense of imbalance. The sight or thought of
someone successful often can produce a sense of inferiority among
those less fortunate. This might be the result of the belief that
the other person is simply better than they are, for whatever
reason. However, if thought about from a different point of view,
that the successful individual is as complex as the individual
who feels inferior, it sets them both on equal ground. While
feelings of resentment at the luck of another individual may
remain, the knowledge that every person is just as important as
every other person can provide some level of
comfort.

However, the ability to feel and believe this
philosophy is impeded by society, who places extraordinary
importance on those who are successful, and leaving those who
aren't to believe that they are not worth less than those who are
raised on a pedestal to be viewed by the world. It is, however,
important to remember that being praised by society comes at a
price, as there can be no inequality without a force to counter
it. The pressure to remain perfect often destroys those who are
considered thus, and even feeling that pressure would be
considered a flaw, and if it shows, it could result in their fall
from the inflated opinions of society.

All bias comes from a misunderstanding of the
complexity of the human mind, as well as a lack of comprehension
of the knowledge of that amount of complexity existing within
each and every individual. If it were truly understood that such
a level of complex thought existed within each and every person,
and that the mind was separate from the body, then bias would be
nonexistent, as it would be impossible to truly believe that
another individual were superior or inferior to another. That
being said, that does not mean that all individuals are the same.
Just because there is good and evil in all people does not mean
that all individuals are free of the guilt of their actions. The
reasoning behind this is simple, at least in comparison to the
human mind. If a crime is committed against another individual,
with a mind just as intricate as all others, is an action worthy
of reprimand. Because all individuals are, truly, equal, they
must be punished or rewarded for their actions against
others.

The conclusion of all of this information is fairly
simple in comparison. The human mind is too complex for another
human to comprehend. As a result, all individuals are equal, as
all individuals are too complex for another individual to
understand. Feelings of inferiority and superiority, as well as
bias are the result of a lack of comprehension that all people
hold the same levels of intricacy, and society impedes the
ability to comprehend these complexities by elevating certain
individuals above others and pronouncing them to be better than
others. The human mind cannot be held, bound, or altered, as all
emotions are held within the mind at all times, and at certain
times, the mind will repress or express certain portions of
itself, but will, fundamentally, remain the same. This allows the
ability to return and rebuild from almost anything.